Men of A-Chord was formed in 1992 by Jay Springfield and Norm L'Hommedieu and now has a membership of over 60 men.
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Barbershop harmony is a uniquely American art form, dating back to the tonsorial parlors and minstrel shows of the late 1800s. The Barbershop Harmony Society was founded in 1938 by two men from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who were nostalgic for the days when four-part harmony was a natural part of contemporary popular music. It all started in the lobby of the Muehleback Hotel in Kansas City when two men, Owen Cash and Rupert Hall, stranded when a storm closed the airport did a little singing and then tipped the bell boy to find them a tenor. As a result of this near-accidental occurrence they decided to have a songfest on the roof garden of the Tulsa Club on Monday, April 11, 1938 at 6:30 P.M. Twenty-Six men attended that first rooftop meeting, and their numbers swelled rapidly in subsequent meetings. At the third gathering, more than 150 harmonizers raised such a sound that traffic stopped on the street below. . The organization quickly grew from coast to coast, and became international in stature in 1944 when a chapter was chartered in Windsor Ontario, Canada.
Today, the barbershop Harmony Society has more than 800 Chapters with 30,000 members in North America.
Our local group here in McAllen started circa 1992. When the first director joined the group he and the friend he brought with him were the 7th and 8th men to join the group. As the years went by the chapter has continued to grow and today has a total membership of over 60 men.
They are known for their Red Vests and Black Bow Ties. This Harmony loving group performs an average of ten concerts per year for the Valley Parks and Organizations. They love to sing and it shows.
Their performance package this year is called “THE OLD SONGS” Since the beginning they have rehearsed at the St. Marks Methodist Church every Tuesday at 7:00 PM.
Over the years many famous men have been attracted to our hobby, known officially today as the “Barbershop Harmony Society”. Many are now honorary members. A few of the names are: Irving Berlin, Meredith Willson, Arthur Godfrey, Fred Waring, Mitch Miller, The Osmond Brothers, Victor Borge, Dick Van Dyke, Gordon Lightfoot and Bill Gaither.
To join our group you don’t have to be famous but you must love singing harmoniously.